


Ties that Bind

by CrystalNavy



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 16:02:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16857055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalNavy/pseuds/CrystalNavy
Summary: I've read and wrote several stories where a typical formula was used, so I figured out I might as well do things in a completely different way.





	Ties that Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The saga starts.

Portgas D. Ace was prideful.

Too prideful too admit he belonged here, despite the fact that this was exactly what he yearned for deep inside.

However, despite this, he had a keen sense of observation. There was a dark cloud of some sort around this crew. Whenever they looked at him, those looks were filled with deep sorrow. 

And then, when he finally let go and joined them, he realized it was more than that. He wasn't the only one who received such looks. Thatch, the crew's cook, did as well. And so did the man they called Oyaji, though to a lesser extent.

"Hey, Ace." his fellow second-division member, Marshall D. Teach, laid a hand on his shoulder, with a cheerful disposition "The cherry pies over there are delicious, so how about you have some?"

"Ace, could you come with me?" Whitey Bay interjected "There is something that we need to talk about."

She grabbed Ace by the shoulders and led him away. As she did, Ace could have sworn that she gave Teach a withering look. If looks could kill, Teach would have dropped dead right then and there. Ace understood that much. 

"We're here." Bay said, swinging open the bathroom door "We need to get you cleaned up for the meeting. That filth probably tainted you, and we can't have it spread."

Ace raised an eyebrow. He knew that Bay was an unofficial 'mom' of the crew, but this was on a whole new level.

"What's the meeting about?" Ace asked carefully

He didn't want to incur her wrath, after all.

"You'll see." Bay answered cryptically, as she grabbed a bar of soap and began to clean him up.

-x-

"Here we are." Bay said, opening the door to the meeting room.

Everyone was already there, Ace realized as he scanned the area. Belatedly, he also realized that there was one more addition in Squardo, one of the allied Captains.

"Oyaji is not here?" he found himself asking

"He and Thatch are still asleep." Marco said smoothly "We didn't want them to interfere in this."

"So what's this meeting about?"

Instead of answering, Marco - and everyone else in the room - turned their heads so that they were staring at Squardo intently.

Squardo, who was known among the crew as someone who had a grudge bigger than the mountain against Roger

Ace swallowed thickly as the realization struck him. Suddenly, it was difficult to breathe, and Ace felt incredibly small. He wished he would just disappear.

Bay grasped him from behind, keeping him steady.

Finally, Marco and the others focused their attention on Ace.

"Ace, you deserve to know this, more than anyone. We're from the future, and we lost three of our family members. We came back in time to save their lives. Teach.....he betrayed us......and he is the reason for our loss."

"This is the first of many steps we need to take to ensure that this never happens the second time." Bay continued "That's why we decided to hold this meeting."

"Squardo, we are all familiar with your hatred of Roger and his kin." Jozu stood up, towering over Squardo, his gaze fixed on both him and Ace 

"Stop." Ace interrupted, looking at everyone with defiance

His body was shaking, in spite of his confident disposition.

"But the sins of a father aren't the sins of a child." Jozu continued "The reason we brought you here was so you can abandon your grudge against Roger and his family. Because the Marines can and will use that grudge against us."

And suddenly, fifteen pairs of eyes were staring at Ace and Bay, causing the former to swallow the heavy lump in his throat once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry.


End file.
